Ascension
by JetfireWeasleyThe5th
Summary: TFP Starcee fanfic, AU from the beginning of Patch. With Cybertron restored and under Decepticon control, Starscream and Arcee find themselves thrown together in an attempt to keep Vos (and the Autobots) out of Megatron's clutches. Both have mistakes they want to escape, and wrongs they need to right, but the path they have set themselves on is riddled with hardships of its own.
1. Prologue: Gift Exchange

**AN: Greetings friends, and welcome to my latest attempt at a Starcee fanfiction! The plot for this thing has been through numerous edits and revisions over the last couple of years (yes, I've been working on it for that long, even if not all of it is written yet) and as a result it's barely recognisable from its original starting point. ****Also, I think I should point something out if there are actually any followers of The Art Of Persuasion still kicking around: it is unfortunately going on permanent hiatus unless inspiration physically descends from the heavens to punch me in the face. Sorry about that.**

**Anyway, the basic gist of this is that it is AU from the beginning of the TFP episode Patch, and completely disregards the entirety of season 3. So onwards, if you enjoy Starcee, seekers, and secretive sparkmates!**

* * *

"Few things of value come without a price. So tell me, Starscream... What is it that you wish in return?"

The seeker's jaw was set as he knelt at Megatron's pedes, the four Omega Keys spread in a fan between them. Steeling himself, he raised his helm to meet the warlord's gaze.

"I ask that you use the Omega Keys to restore Cybertron to its rightful glory, my liege," he replied, stammering slightly as the Decepticon commander glared. "And once you have done so, I ask... I ask for my city. My price is that I am granted independence and instated as the ruler of Vos." He lowered his helm, voice developing a slight rasp. "I realise now that I was foolish to believe I could restore our planet alone. However, it is my dearest wish to lead my home city and personally see that it remains ever-loyal to the Decepticon cause."

Megatron scrutinised the smaller mech for several long, loud seconds. Finally, he gave a slight jerk of his helm in assent.

"Very well, Starscream," he agreed. "Once I have restored Cybertron, you shall have independent rule of Vos. It seems a reasonable price for the Keys. But be warned - if you abuse your independence; if you cross me in any way, the consequences will be as severe as it is within my power to make them."

"Understood, my liege," Starscream replied, delight evident in his expression despite the threat. The larger mech turned to leave and the seeker scrambled to his pedes, hastening to follow. "I - you have my word that I will remain loyal, I swear!"

"It would be wise for you to keep that promise," Megatron warned.

To himself, he added. "This time not only for your sake."


	2. Chapter 1: Outsiders

Starscream had heard him.

To this day, he was unsure whether it had been intentional - whether Megatron had meant for him to overhear that threat, or if he was supposed to have been kept in the dark.

Either way, the warlord had certainly used that request to his advantage, the seeker mused as he gazed out of the window. He wondered if what he saw before him had been the plan all along. Had Megatron been scheming even as the words left Starscream's vocal processor all those years ago? True, in reality it had only been twenty stellar cycles, but it seemed far longer to Vos' Winglord.

The mech gave a snort of humourless laughter at that thought. _Winglord_. By all rights and by the customs of his city he should have been the Crown Prince. But such a title could indicate a power above Megatron, and of course that couldn't be allowed.

It seemed that in the Decepticon commander's view, Vos existed purely to be repressed and extorted. Twenty years ago Cybertron had been resurrected, and Decepticons (along with converts to the cause) had poured in from every corner of the galaxy. Their numbers had been comparatively few considering the army's size before the war, so Megatron had used the newly-restored Vector Sigma to boost their ranks. Even so, they had been unable to stop a steady trickle of Autobots and Neutrals from slipping in under the radar, and by the time these newcomers had settled in Kaon and Tarn it had been too late. Megatron had taken Iacon, but had lost one of the planet's best sources of raw materials.

As such, he had turned to Vos. The city perched on a cliff that sat above several rich mining veins, and it was this that had afforded it enough resources before the war to be self-sufficient, and opulent on top of that.

That wasn't the case anymore, though, thought Starscream bitterly. Megatron had wasted no time commencing with the process of draining Vos dry. The seeker had been in line to take a place on the city's senate back before joining the Decepticons, and it pained him to see how quickly its newly-restored beauty had deteriorated. Cybertron's overlord kept up extortionate demands that the citizens struggled to meet - let alone retaining anything for the city's own use!

It was all planned, of course. Megatron was deliberately crippling both Starscream and his city in order to keep them in check. He had conscripted nearly every warrior-class seeker into the Decepticon army, leaving Vos almost completely defenceless against the Autobot raids that had occurred towards the start of the planet's new era. And his conquest of Earth - which had been running for ten years now with no victory, thanks to Autobot intervention - had placed an even higher demand on the city.

The toll that Vos was paying certainly showed. Outside Starscream's window seekers flitted about anxiously, hurriedly going about their daily business with dull optics and bowed helms. Every one of them looked haggard and worn. The buildings had quickly lost their newly-minted shine when nobody could keep up with their maintenance - towers and pavilions that had stood as proud testament to Vos' grandeur now crouched with shattered domes and fractured spires, nursing their wounds on a broken skyline. Many citizens bore scuffed and charred armour, their shoulders permanently hunched as a result of being forced to work in the cramped mines and smelting pits.

It was this last factor that angered Starscream the most. Seekers were creatures of the air. They needed open space and freedom to fly in order to stay healthy, much as the minibots had relied on their close-knit family units for security; just as the Praxians had thronged the Assembly each day to satisfy their thirst for knowledge and culture. Megatron had used their dependance to his advantage, harnessing the power of the fliers' preprogrammed claustrophobia in order to keep them subdued.

The warlord claimed to have both liberated and restored Cybertron, but in truth he had done neither. The planet was a shrivelled husk compared to its old glory, with its inhabitants even more repressed than before.

Starscream sighed. Megatron's manifesto had deceived so many, including himself. Before the war, he'd believed that the Decepticons were the way towards change and a better Cybertron. _During_ the war, he'd been twisted beyond all recognition, by those around him and also his own ambitions. Now he was a bitter shadow of what he'd once been, finally starting to perceive the error in his judgement only when it was far too late. It was the same for all those who had been taken in by Megatron, and they were paying dearly for their mistake.

Funny, really, that he was this concerned for an entire city. A single mech would've been lucky to extract even a pinch of sympathy from him an orn ago.

No, Starscream corrected himself. What was funny was that Megatron thought he could push a seeker and his birthplace this far without something snapping along the way. And something had snapped - deep within said seeker's processor, Starscream suspected. Why else would he have that particular encoded datapad tucked away from spies and prying optics?

Why else would he have started fighting back?

After all, however hopeless things looked, there was still resistance. One simply needed to know the right people...

* * *

Arcee scowled, her denta scraping over each other painfully as she glared up at the citadel from a narrow alley. Typically Starscream, claiming the largest and most imposing building for himself. And there was a statue of him outside. A fragging _statue_! As if he were some great hero or saviour of Cybertron!

A static flicker crackled over her body and she swore under her breath. Stupid electronic paintjob was playing up again. It made scouting missions stupidly risky, but there was really no other option - the Autobots were far too low on resources. Things were awkward enough having to get by as groundpounders in a city built for seekers, without adding in a shortage of supplies. Though the choice of location _was_ a good idea. It would be far less likely for the Decepticons to target a city of fliers when searching for vehicular bots, even if Vos was notorious for sheltering Neutrals. After all, their opponents already held Cybertron's two southernmost cities - why would they suspect the Autobots of sending a group so deep into enemy lands, let alone somewhere designed for those who lived in the air?

Optimus had played that advantage, of course. Being stationed this far into Decepticon territory was dangerous almost to the point of insanity, but it had also been incredibly beneficial for running and coordinating missions, as well as gathering intelligence.

That said, Arcee couldn't wait until their time in Vos came to an end. They'd already been in the city for half a stellar cycle, and she didn't think she could take much longer staying in the same place as the mech who'd posed for that ridiculous statue.

He'd obviously posed for it. No Cybertronian she knew of had that ostentatious a posture naturally.

A commlink pinged in her helm.

::_Chromia to Arcee. Do you copy?_::

The femme raised a servo to her head, tearing her optics away from their blistering hold on the main square.

"Affirmative," she replied. "I'm gonna have to cut the patrol off early, though - paintjob's acting up again."

::_Alright_:: Chromia replied, a sigh gusting over the commline. ::_And 'Cee? Be careful if you are where I think you are. That'd be the worst place to be spotted_::

"It's so frustrating, though!" Arcee growled defensively. The city wasn't exactly on her designated patrol, but she always made a point to visit and send a glare in its direction. Especially at the statue. "His citizens are wasting away around him, and all he ever does is sit up in that tower _and watch it happen!_"

::_Count your blessings, 'Cee_:: Chromia warned. ::_If he **did** venture out more often, if he did more about this, there'd be a higher likelihood of us being discovered_::

"I guess you're right," Arcee sighed. "It's just... we've dreamed of restoring Cybertron for eons. And the 'Cons had that chance, but they're just killing it again."

::_Could you really expect anything more of them?_::

"I think I _was_ expecting more, yeah," the cycleformer replied. "We all missed home, we all wanted to go back. Starscream had the literal key to that and he handed it over to Megatron. And he doesn't even care about the result."

::_So it's less about the 'Cons, and more about **his** choice, then?_:: the older femme asked. When Arcee didn't respond, she continued. ::_Anyway, you'd best get back quickly if the paintjob's glitching_::

"Understood. Arcee out."

The femme checked that her frame was still covered by a layer of holographic black before shooting the citadel a last, venomous glance and slipping off down the alleyway.

* * *

"These are the crates that were appropriated?"

The silent mech nodded once, visor reflecting his master's profile as Megatron studied the boxes. A thick, wickedly sharp claw traced over an emblem on the side of the nearest case of artillery.

"Vos' _royal_ seal..." he murmured, injecting a heavy dose of mockery into the word. "And these were taken from the Autobots? You are certain of that?"

Another silent nod.

"Of course, it could be the result of an Autobot raid," the warlord mused, before giving a short, dark laugh. "However, knowing Starscream it would be wise to doubt that. It seems that he requires further reining in."

Though enforcing any kind of punishment would be difficult without concrete proof, and the seeker's slipperiness had been a constant frustration for the warlord. Megatron was fully aware that if he had Vos' Winglord hauled away for punishment on the grounds of mere suspicion (however strong that suspicion might be), he would have a full uprising on his hands from the seekers. Using the city as a primary source of materials, while beneficial to the Decepticon cause overall, meant that he had to be wary of providing its residents with any reason to rebel. For countless years he had walked a thin line between suppressing Starscream and his city so that they would not pose a threat, and keeping the situation just balanced enough to avoid any major unrest.

But if Starscream truly did pose a threat, he would have to be removed. All previous attempts to uncover the truth had been fruitless - neatly dodged by the seeker as he sat at the centre of a community whose members were all deeply loyal and protective of him. Nothing short of invading the mech's mind would uncover his true intentions. A cortical psychic patch was a possible option, but having the flier brought in for questioning would undoubtedly stir up the seekers. It seemed that futile spying efforts were the only way to continue. Or...

The gleam of an idea had manifested in Megatron's optic. There was more than one way to get inside a mech's mind.

"He has managed to avoid other attempts to spy on him in the past, but...

"Soundwave - contact the newly-promoted outpost commander in Kalis. I have a... _proposal_ for her. She seems eager to improve her standing in the Decepticon force, so I believe she will agree. And have a commline to Vos established should she accept."

The spy dipped his helm in affirmation a final time and left the room.

"He will not escape me now," Megatron muttered to himself. "If Starscream _has_ been aiding the Autobots, this will expose him once and for all."

* * *

A lithe black figure stole across the narrow street and pressed its palm to a section of wall. After a couple of seconds there was a hiss from the passage around the corner and Arcee followed the noise, dropping silently through the hatchway that had opened at her touch. The trapdoor slid closed above her as she stood up.

"Hey," she called shown the corridor, deactivating her electronic paintjob to expose blue armour underneath. "No news from the world above, I'm afraid. But I'm gonna need Perceptor to take a look at this thing."

She detached the camoflague chip from the back of her neck as she spoke, before heading deeper into the base.

A silver-blue femme stood in the doorway to the main room.

"I'll take that," she offered, holding out a servo for the chip. "Need to speak to Percy later about repairs to my handgun."

"Thanks," Arcee replied, giving Chromia a quick smile. However, as she turned to enter the room footsteps clattered up behind her.

"Did I hear you say you needed something taking to Perceptor?"

"Wha- Oh, hi, Moonracer. Yeah, 'Cee's paintjob chip's been glitching."

"I can deliver it! I was on my way over to the lab just now."

"Does that storeroom they're using even count as a lab?" Arcee asked skeptically, giving the green femme an odd look. "And why're you always spending time there anyway? It's not like you've got any interest in science."

"Hey, it may be small, but it's not a storeroom! And why shouldn't I help in the lab? I may as well be useful if I need something to do - I mean, I'd rather be training or whatever, but we don't exactly have a shooting range down here."

Arcee couldn't decide if her expression was more defensive or indignant as the sharpshooter folded her arms. Grinning at her slightly petulant pout, the two-wheeler nodded to Chromia.

"You heard her. She wants to be useful for once - let her take the chip."

"Oh, har har. Who was it that saved your skidplate during that raid on Polyhex, again? Can't have been me if I'm so _useless_."

Smiling despite her words, Moonracer accepted the chip from Chromia and headed down the passage.

"She's got other reasons than wanting to help for spending so much time in the lab," Chromia muttered shrewdly as the two remaining femmes walked into the main room.

"What reasons are they, then?"

The older femme smirked and said nothing, turning away to talk to a powerfully built, battle-scarred red mech. With a snort that was half exasperated, half amused, Arcee sloped over to the energon store in the corner.

"There you are! It took you long enough to get back!"

"What now, Ratchet?" the femme groaned. "I already told you - my shoulder joint was fine _last_ time you checked it."

The medic gave an irritated huff that sounded suspiciously like _'I beg to differ'_.

"That's not what you're needed for," he replied. "Optimus wants to speak to you in a couple of cycles - once he's done talking with Sideswipe."

"Still no luck finding Sunny, then?" Arcee asked, folding her arms.

Ratchet sighed.

"Sadly, no. We're starting to think that the only scenario in which he'd still be alive is if he's been taken prisoner."

"We can't tell Sides that," the femme murmured, glancing worriedly at the door to the Prime's office.

"We may not have a choice. Sideswipe's not stupid - he's sure to figure it out soon."

It was almost as though their conversation had been overheard by its subject: at that exact moment the door opened and Sideswipe stomped into the room, optics dark. Ironhide paused his conversation with Chromia to say something to him, but the younger warrior brushed past without a word.

"Arcee?"

Optimus had appeared in the doorway, his expression grave. With one last, worried glance at Sideswipe, the femme crossed the room to enter his office.

* * *

Starscream's servos shook with rage as he turned away from the monitor. He had previously thought that Megatron could not be any more controlling and thoughtless, but this utter _madness_ really took the proverbial oilcake. That he would even _consider_ forcing someone into such a situation - it just proved that the warlord had passed beyond the reach of sanity entirely! He would feel sorry for this outpost commander, if it weren't painfully obvious that she had only agreed because he himself had been marked for slaughter.

With an infuriated snarl, he swept a pile of datapads off his desk in a vicious slash. Just when things had been progressing, it was all going to be snatched from his servos. Now he would never have the chance to correct his mistake...

Because Starscream knew that this was all his fault. For a time he had held the literal keys to Cybertron's restoration in his very hands, and he had relinquished them. Now he was forced to stand by and watch while the planet was torn apart as a result of his choice.

Emitting a sound somewhere between a groan and a cry of rage, the seeker collapsed into his desk chair and buried his helm in his servos.

He would have to tell them. There was no way that he could continue to provide assistance - not now that his privacy was set to be invaded in this most perverse of ways. Sighing, he reached for a hand-held communicator, lifting his helm minutely to view the screen.

"Hello, old friend," he murmured when the display lit up to show a mech's face. "I'm afraid the time has come when I need to request an audience. Be warned, though - they're not going to like this..."

* * *

"I... you want me to do _what_?"

Optimus regarded her with a slightly puzzled expression as the femme spread her servos in disbelief.

"I understand that you may be reluctant to accept the post, given what transpired upon our departure from Earth," he informed Arcee gravely. "I did not expect you to react so strongly, however." He paused. "Is something troubling you?"

"No, I-"

The cycleformer sighed and folded her arms, optics lowering to the floor. There was no way she could tell Optimus why she wouldn't - _couldn't_ - accept this new mission. If he knew... She didn't want to think about what would happen if she was found out. She'd never be able to face the others again. The fact that this assignment would mean interacting with _Jack_ was bad enough - she couldn't risk her secret being discovered.

Primus, just when she'd almost managed to bury the regret, too...

"It's just... after what happened I feel like I can't face them. Any of them. They put their trust in us to protect them and I- and we failed. I know that all they'll be able to see if _I_ go there - one of the team who was supposed to be _guarding_ Airachnid - all they'll be able to see is one of the aliens that let Jasper be terrorised. That let Fowler and Sierra _die_."

"Agent Fowler died honourably," Optimus insisted. "He was trying to save the girl from Airachnid. However, the humans have acknowledged that it was not our fault Airachnid got free. It was simply a fluke, albeit one with tragic consequences. They themselves have asked for reinforcements, and I believe it would be prudent to appoint you as team leader; given that you possess the necessary skills and have also had previous liaisons with the humans."

He placed a servo on the femme's shoulder.

"Arcee, they will not hold you at fault. You _will_ be accepted, should you choose to work with them."

_They **should** blame me,_ the femme thought bitterly. _If they knew... _

It was impossible for her to accept the mission - how was she supposed to face Jack, knowing what she did? Yet at the same time, if she turned it down questions would be asked. They'd find out the reason for her refusal, and the femme didn't want to think about what would happen after that.

"I'll have to think about it," she finally muttered, turning to leave without another word.

As she left the room a large, white mech hurried past her, looking deeply concerned.

"Skyfire, what's"-

"Can't talk now," he replied shortly. "You'll find out soon enough, I should think, but at the moment I _really_ need to speak to Prime."

Arcee watched him go, equal parts worried and intrigued. With all the shortages they had been suffering recently, the last thing the Autobots needed was further complications. Whatever it was, she hoped it could be resolved soon.

* * *

**AN: Woo, first chapter! I have to say that I'm really looking forward to continuing this - (sort of) peacetime Cybertron, exploring the city of Vos, and writing my OTP? Yes please! **

**Lemme know what you think so far, and I'll try to update as soonish as I can (though I can't promise anything given my track record XD)**

**TTFN!**


	3. Chapter 2: Insiders

**AN: Wow, an actual semi-speedy update! I know it goes against my entire policy of wanting for months before uploading a new chapter, but this is just too bloody fun to write to resist. :)**

**Also, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! (And please bear in mind that they played a considerable part in motivating me to get this typed up quicker... *winkwinknudge* ;))**

* * *

"Autobots - your attention, please."

Arcee glanced up from where she was helping Bumblebee make repairs to his arm guns. She'd been keeping herself occupied with various tasks, mainly to avoid thinking about the decision she would eventually have to make. It hadn't helped much - her processor was swirling, and the knowledge of what she had done was weighing heavier on her conscience than ever before.

Once the room's occupants had ceased their various activities, Optimus spoke again.

"There has been a recent development in regards to our... allies, which I feel needs to be made known. Skyfire is better informed on the matter than myself, so I have asked him to address you."

On cue, the white shuttleformer stood up. Arcee straightened a little in her seat, interest piqued - this was probably what had had the scientist so rattled earlier.

He still looked worried now. Expression hovering somewhere between grave and apprehensive, the mech rebooted his vocalizer.

"I know you're all aware that we've been receiving aid from planets such as Velocitron and Athenia for quite some time now," he began. "But I'm afraid that - in the interests of the Autobot cause - you haven't exactly been given the whole picture. For a few years now, our biggest provider of resources has been... well, in a manner of speaking, I suppose it's been the Decepticons themselves."

"WHAT?" Ironhide roared, leaping to his pedes. His violent reaction drowned out Ratchet's splutter and the shouts that erupted around the room.

"Let me finish!" Skyfire insisted. "It's not what you think. I- we've been receiving supplies that have been... liberated from the Decepticons thanks to an inside contact. But that's not what needs to be discussed. The problem is that our contact has recently come under scrutiny, and it's unlikely that he'll be able to continue helping us. Prime and I have decided that you all need to be involved in figuring out how to get past this - our ally included."

"It'd help if we actually knew who this ally _was_," Chromia piped up. "Be useful to be able to talk to him, too."

"Well, I can tell you, but you're not going to like it," Skyfire replied. "And as for speaking with him - he's ready to groundbridge here if you're willing. But... I'm not so sure that you will be."

He shot a glance in Arcee's direction at this and the femme frowned, puzzled at the concern in his optics.

"Why?" Smokescreen asked. "Who is he?"

Skyfire inhaled deeply.

"... It's Starscream."

This time it was Arcee's turn to jump to her pedes.

"_What?!_"

* * *

The groundbridge portal materialised in a ripple of white and green, its stark light in the gloomy base throwing the emerging figure into sharp relief.

Of course, this simply made Starscream an even bigger target for the multitude of glares he was subjected to as he made his entrance. The seeker was visibly apprehensive; servos curled close to his chassis and wings lowered. His optics darted about furtively and Arcee noted that he visibly flinched upon catching Ironhide's glowering gaze.

_Pathetic. _

Skyfire muttered something to Vos' Winglord (and the femme had suppress a snort of derisive mirth as she recalled the title). The fact that he was the go-between made sense now, as the two were known to have been friends before the war. Starscream nodded and cleared his vocalizer.

"Ahem... I assume that you've been told the basics of this... _situation_, so you're no doubt aware of the dilemma it presents"-

"Actually, we know next to nothing," Moonracer interjected, waving away the mech's affronted expression. "We've been told you were helping us, but you're not able to anymore. That's it."

"I say we just cut our losses and leave 'Scream here to sweat it out by himself," Wheeljack chipped in with a growl.

Starscream's indignation rounded on him to the accompaniment of a splutter.

"I was under the impression that you had _already been informed_ that I'm currently providing the bulk of your resources! At no small risk to the safety of myself and my city, I can assure you!"

"Big deal," Bulkhead scowled. "Cut the bullscrap and start explaining, Starscream."

"Hmf. Well, as you're _apparently_ aware"- he aimed a glare at Wheeljack -"I've been... _liberating_ Decepticon supplies for your use for the past few stellar cycles. But I have reason to believe that Megatron now suspects my treachery"-

"Took him long enough," Sideswipe snorted, earning a scowl from the seeker.

"Yes, well," Starscream continued. "Thus far, I've managed to evade his spying efforts, and that's only made him more determined to find out what's going on. His latest plan is unsavoury to say the least." The mech sighed.

"He's trying to coerce me into bonding with one of his officers so that she can monitor me. It's evident that she only agreed because Megatron's decided I'm not long for this world. And before anyone makes a suggestion to the effect - refusal is out of the question. He _will _keep insisting until I agree to bond with her."

_That _got a reaction. Disbelieving murmurs filled the room - Moonracer's optics were wide and Ratchet was spluttering in shock.

"You can't be serious!" the medic burst out. "Spark bonds are _not _trivial matters - it's _unthinkable _to use them for such purposes!"

"Clearly not unthinkable, if Megatron has considered it," Starscream retorted snappishly.

"That just shows how low he's sunk," Smokescreen said, shaking his helm.

"Hm," Ratchet muttered. He turned a suspicious gaze on the seeker. "Or how vivid Starscream's imagination is."

"Ratchet," Optimus warned over the Winglord's indignant exclamation, approaching the medic. "Starscream is speaking the truth. Our contact in Iacon has since confirmed his claim." He turned to the assembled Autobots.

"We have brought Starscream here tonight to ask for your help. If he is discovered, it will greatly cripple the Autobot cause, and will also leave Vos vulnerable to Megatron's whims. Skyfire, Starscream and myself were unable to see a way around this that will allow things to continue as they are now. If anyone can think of anything, please step forward."

There was some stifled clanking and shuffling of pedes. Then Chromia spoke up.

"Surely... surely the only way to keep things going as they are would be if Starscream found a mate of his own volition? I can't see any other situation where Megatron would leave him alone."

"Oh, of course," Starscream snapped back. "Because that would be so simple with Cybertron in its current state! Who would I bond with, anyway - another Decepticon? Even a Neutral would expose me in a sparkbeat! They're all either loyal to, or terrified of, Megatron!"

Chromia's voice was low when she spoke next.

"What about an Autobot?"

There was an instant uproar.

"Aw, Pit no!" Ironhide exclaimed. "No way is _he _gettin' his filthy servos on any'a our femmes!"

"_Our femmes _can give their own opinion if they want to, Ironhide," Chromia interrupted her mate. She turned to Optimus and Skyfire.

"I know I can't exactly speak for the others, as I'm already bonded," she continued. "But would that be an option? Or... a bond could always be faked, I suppose."

Starscream opened his mouth to speak before closing it again, looking incredibly awkward.

"Actually, I had previously suggested it," Skyfire answered. "But I was shouted down. It would just be stooping to Megatron's level, after all - especially as pretending is out of the question. If he's mad enough to think of this in the first place, he'd have no qualms about sending a medic in to check the bond's validity. "

"Would it be sinking to his level, though?" Firestar piped up. "I mean, if one of us _did _go through with it... sure, it'd be a sacrifice, but we'd be doing it to save Vos _and _the Autobots..."

She glanced at Prime as she said this.

"Firestar does make a valid point," the mech conceded to Skyfire."However, I myself refuse to allow such a thing unless Starscream _and _any chosen femme were both fully informed of what such an undertaking would entail."

"I can speak for myself, thank you!" Starscream burst out, leaning around Skyfire to glare at Optimus. "And I'm quite aware of what's involved!"

Said mech met the scowl with a level gaze.

"Very well, Starscream. Would you be willing to take this course of action, provided that a volunteer can be found?"

"I... yes," the seeker replied. "Much as I'm sure you'll all find it hard to believe, I will do anything to keep my city out of Megatron's servos."

"Optimus, are you sure this is wise?" Ratchet demanded. "Making a decision like _this_ so quickly - it's beyond rash! If this works, the bond would almost certainly last for the rest of their natural lives! Unless you'd prefer them to go through the excruciating pain of severing it?"

"It's a better alternative to having Vos fall to the Decepticons, though, isn't it?" Firestar retorted. "And it'd prevent us from losing one of our few assets in this war. Besides, we don't even know if anyone will volunteer." She shot Starscream a dirty look. "I personally doubt it."

Ratchet scowled at her, but fell silent. Firestar was the only one on the base who could shut the medic up at times, but her hold over him was unsurprising given that the two had been involved in an on/off relationship-slash-bitching contest since near the start of the war. Ratchet's time on Earth meant nothing - Firestar had simply picked up where they'd left off and was maintaining her winning streak in the latter.

Nobody really wanted to enquire as to who was 'winning' the former.

Cranky partner duly silenced, Firestar turned to Skyfire.

"You must have had someone in mind when you suggested that, though?"

The mech nodded, though even he looked a little skeptical.

"I thought perhaps... Moonracer?"

The mint-green femme glanced up at that, faceplates resembling those of a petrorabbit in the proverbial headlights.

"W-what?" she stammered, optics darting uneasily to Starscream. The seeker refused to meet her gaze.

"You shouldn't consider it an obligation," Skyfire hastened to add. "It's just that... well... there aren't many femmes on the base..."

A covert glance was flicked at Arcee, but he immediately looked away again. The cycleformer had seen, however, and she knew why he'd turned to her. Besides Moonracer, she was the only femme not involved with anyone. But nobody was going to ask her to even consider volunteering - not after Cliffjumper. She was thankful for that, though it did put poor Moonie in a distinctly awkward situation.

"... But we can send out a call for others. You're by no means required to agree - quite the opposite."

"No," Moonracer cut in. "No, I-I'll do it, if Starscream agrees..."

Her voice was shaking. Arcee could hear the tremor colouring her words from across the room, and as the blue femme watched, the sniper shot a panicked look around the assembled Autobots. Her gaze fixed on Perceptor for a fraction of a second before shying away again.

That was when Chromia's earlier comment clicked. She'd seen Moonracer behaving oddly around the scientist before - nervous glances when they passed him in the corridor; stumbling words as the sniper descended into uncharacteristc shyness; and now that all made a little more sense.

"Moonracer, you don't have to do this!" she blurted out suddenly. "There's got to be another way around it."

_You don't have to throw away your chance with the mech you love for Starscream; for the Autobot cause._

"You know there's not, 'Cee," the green femme replied. "If I don't, then Vos will fall and the Autobots will be massively set back." There was an unspoken message in her optics, too. She knew that Arcee had figured it out.

_It's worth the sacrifice. _

The worst part was that Arcee knew Moonracer was right. If they _did_ send out a wider call it was obvious that nobody would answer, even considering what it would do for the Autobots. No femme would bind themselves to a mech who had been one of their most ruthless opponents for millennia, based purely on a statement that he was now an ally. No matter that that statement would be issued by the Prime himself. And if, by some miracle, someone actually stepped forward, it would be too late. Megatron would already have set his plan in motion, and Starscream would be unable to back out. They didn't have time to search for alternate solutions. This was their only option and they all knew it, even if Arcee suspected that many of the room's occupants would rather swear fealty to Unicron than admit to such a thing.

Even so, she couldn't just sit by and watch Moonracer - _Moonie_, who'd been like a sister to her during the time they'd served under Elita One - throw away her spark. Not when it was obvious she desired a completely different mech to the one she was about to promise herself to...

A crazy and wholly repugnant idea was crawling its way into Arcee's CPU. She didn't want to acknowledge it. The femme would've been perfectly happy to chain it up, stick it in a cage, and drop it into the darkest corner of her processor; never to lift its ugly head again. However, it was resisting her efforts to do so with much zeal and repeated protests.

If Moonracer was prepared give up this much for the Autobot cause...

Once again, her thoughts drifted back to the assignment on Earth. She'd initially been caught between a rock and a hard place, as the humans might say, but now that repulsive little whisper of an idea had thrown a third location into the mix. A path that, while highly undesirable, might just turn out to be her escape route. Of course she would still be hounded by ghosts and regrets, but they'd be ones brought about as a result of another's actions - not her own. And right now, given her other options, that honestly seemed preferable.

Would she even be able to _face_ Jack? Or explain to the others if she backed out without a reason? If _she_ could barely live with herself, how would anyone else be able to?

The humans would lose all trust in her - all trust in the Autobots, even.

Grimly, she realised that the idea was more of a blessed curse.

"I'll do it."

Those three words hung in the air like dust after an explosion. They echoed around the room, bounced off the walls, and managed to fully immobilise everyone. Not even Arcee could believe that they had just been spoken, and Starscream was openly gaping at her.

Eventually, Chromia found her voice.

"Arcee, you can't be serious! This is _Starscream _we're talking about!"

The mech in question was apparently too startled to even think about looking affronted.

"This is the mech who killed Cliffjumper!" Chromia continued. "You're the _last_ femme who should be thinking about bonding with him. Are you really going to throw away your life like this - tying yourself to someone who _murdered_ your partner?"

_It's a better alternative to facing the humans and admitting that **I** all but murdered two of them!_

Outwardly, Arcee remained utterly silent.

Moonracer was watching her sadly, but there was gratitude mixed into her gaze. The two-wheeler nodded towards Perceptor.

_Just make the most of this chance. _

The green femme dipped her helm once, imperceptibly, before turning to look at the scientist. Arcee sighed as she addressed Chromia.

"It's no more of a sacrifice than Moonracer was going to make," the cycleformer insisted, even though she knew fully that her commitment to this would require giving up far more than the other femme had. "Like Firestar said - this is going to help the Autobots _and_ Vos. I think that's worth putting aside personal grievances."

"This is more than a _personal grievance_ you're putting aside!" Ratchet interjected incredulously. "Arcee, he murdered Cliffjumper in cold energon! You _can't_ bind yourself to him like this!"

"Chromia's already made that point," the femme snapped. "And if we insisted that nobody could do this if Starscream wronged them in the past, there's no way we'd be able to stop Megatron from going ahead with his plan!"

She met Starscream's optics at last, mouth set in a grim line. The seeker countered this with an impassive stare of his own, but Arcee noticed that he bowed his helm slightly, eyes still on her. When she refused to release the mech from her gaze he rebooted his vocalizer softly and turned away.

Still keeping her optics locked on him, she continued slowly.

"I don't think there's a single femme in the entire army who'd want to do this. You've killed so many of us, and hurt even more. But we risk losing everything if someone doesn't. I'm not doing this for you, or so you can keep your city - honestly, I think that Vos would do far better without you in charge. I'm doing it for my family."

"Starscream?" Skyfire piped up hesitantly. "Are you still willing to go ahead with this? I mean"-

"I stand by what I said before," the Winglord sighed. "If she's doing this for her... _family_, then I'm doing it for my city and for"-

He cut himself off, earning more than a few curious glances.

"Arcee, I'm going to say it one more time," Ratchet pleaded. "You can't go ahead with this! You haven't the faintest idea of the repercussions"-

"I'm sure you're going to make me more than aware of them, Ratchet," the femme interrupted. "And I'll still stand by my decision."

_It's a better alternative to Earth, after all._

* * *

**AN: So, how many of you saw that coming? I'm guessing most, to a certain extent, and hopefully it's not put anyone off. ;D **

**We're getting further towards the part that I'm most excited to write, now that this chapter's out: Arcee undercover in Vosnian society! I'm hoping that'll be fun for you guys too, so keep an eye out for updates if that's the case. :)**


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